NATO Secretary General Proposes Creating $100 Billion Fund for Ukraine's Armament
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has proposed creating a $100 billion fund for military support to Ukraine over five years. This fund is intended to be part of an aid package that Alliance leaders plan to sign in July in Washington, according to Bloomberg.
Members of NATO are currently discussing this proposal and mechanisms for accounting contributions. Specifically, there is debate over whether to include in this sum the aid that countries provide directly to Ukraine in a bilateral format.
Additionally, within this package, NATO is considering taking on operational responsibilities for Ukraine's Defence Contact Group under the "Ramstein" format, which coordinates arms shipments to Ukraine from around 50 countries. This decision aims to shield the Contact Group from potential political changes following the U.S. presidential elections in November, sources noted.
It's worth mentioning that the possibility of Donald Trump returning to the presidency has spurred discussions among allies about what Europe should do to maintain U.S. contributions to transatlantic security. This has also raised concerns among European officials that Trump may withdraw American aid to Ukraine, given his comments about ending the war in a day.
If allies support Stoltenberg's proposal, it would signify a shift in the military alliance's paradigm, which previously distanced itself from such efforts to avoid potential entanglement in a broader war with Russia, towards more active support for Ukraine.
At the same time, NATO's institutionalized support may indicate long-term backing for Ukraine at a time when Russian President Vladimir Putin is betting on outlasting support from Kyiv's allies.
Discussions on allocating a $100 billion package for Ukraine's military support are taking place as NATO foreign ministers meet in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday to celebrate the Alliance's 75th anniversary, marked on April 4th. Apart from supporting Ukraine, ministers are likely to discuss who will succeed Stoltenberg when his term ends in October.